The Demon and his Salvation
by I Hate Wednesdays
Summary: Oiwa, weak for a Yato, is the childhood friend to Kamui and faithful servant. After the defeat of Housen, Oiwa leaves Kamui for unknown reasons- leaving him to believe that she is dead. Kagura finds this character from her past in the most unexpected of places. Setting of a chain of events that could ruin everything. (Kamui/OC)
1. Chapter 1

1

They say that every demon was once an angel. Only after a fall did they become demons. The same could be said for Kamui- who was once as innocent and as pure as freshly fallen snow. The only thing that tainted his purity was the idea of power and strength. While their clan was known for their strength and endurance, Oiwa was rather weak for a Yato.

Oiwa was born the year after Umibouzu's wife (or lover, which was what she was at the time) gave birth to a son. Unlike her sisters before her, Oiwa battled against her fate with all the strength her tiny body had. Her father was a cruel man who believed that only men could be strong and girls were worthless. When his wife bore him only daughters, he broke their little necks and tried again for a son. However, Oiwa bit onto his hand with her gums wishing to do more harm than she truly could. Teke took this as a sign and spared the child.

So there she grew, right beside Kamui like a weed beside a beautiful tigerlily. When he shed his humanity she carried it for him, following him out of the village and into the eternal night of Yoshiwara. While he trained from Hosen, she would study and learn from a few courtesans willing to teach her. Kamui never voiced that he wanted her to stop following him so she stay but vowed that the second he asked her to leave, she would be gone without a second thought.

But he hadn't said that yet.

X

"KAMUI!"

Kagura shot out onto the roof, firing from her umbrella as she went. Oiwa stepped in front of Kamui, shielding him with her yellow umbrella before swinging it to the side then back over her head.

Kagura glared at her brother whose eyes cracked open to reveal a crystal blue eye peering back at her from behind Oiwa.

"Still using her as a human shield, Kamui?" she spat, struggling against Shinpachi's arms.

Oiwa glanced back to the man behind her, her forest green eyes meeting his sky blue. There were times when she wondered if that was all he saw her as- just a disposable object to throw away when he was done with her. But then she would remember the times when he shielded her from the rocks bullies threw or the times he saved her from her father. This was just how she repaid him.

Flicking her attention back to the younger Yato, Oiwa scoffed. "One day you'll understand."

While Kamui spoke of strength and vowing to return to fight Gintoki, Oiwa had locked eyes with the silver haired samurai. This was the first time he had seen another Yato woman and the differences between the two were vast. Firstly, their appearances were like night and day. Unlike Kagura's orange hair, Oiwa's was a mass of fist sized curls in a rich purple color. Both females were short and slim, but it was obvious that Oiwa's body was far weaker than the younger Yato. Oiwa lacked the energetic appearance the latter held and her eyes seemed dull and almost lifeless.

There was something about her that Gintoki didn't like. There was something in her eyes that made him uncomfortable. But he didn't have time to dwell on it before she stepped off the roof with her comrade.

"Abuto, where did your arm go?" Oiwa peered down at Abuto, hands behind her back in an innocent manner.

"And where have you been?" the larger Yato spat, getting to his feet with the help of Kamui. "You were meant to be keeping the Commander's blood thirst in check."

"So bossy!" Oiwa turned on her heel, smacking the injured man in the face with her closed umbrella. "I had some other business to attend to."

Kamui fell into step beside his childhood friend, tugging along his injured comrade. His cheerful smile hid his own injuries and the worry he held for the smaller woman at his side.

"Did you find a doctor?" he asked casually.

"We could have used her and you had her go find a doctor for the common cold?!" Abuto spluttered.

The pair ignored him.

"I did." Oiwa opened her umbrella as the sun came into view. "He gave me a clean bill of health."

She smiled up at him, but her smile failed to reach her eyes- and Kamui noticed the dull lifelessness in them. The same that Gintoki had seen. He ignored it, however, trusting her enough to know that she would never lie to him.

Only, he knew there was something she wasn't telling him.

X

"You're not even a full Yato! Just go die!" a group of bullies shouted, throwing rocks and stones.

Oiwa stood her ground, knowing that it would only give them sick satisfaction if she coward in a huddle at their feet. The sharp stones couldn't cut her skin, nothing ever could, but they hurt all the same. In his efforts to create a more powerful Yato, her father had instead created a monster with only half the strength of a normal Yato. A monster that stood out with her purple hair and green eyes. Hair that the local girls had tried and failed to cut, leaving a half sheered mess of curls.

"Go away mon-"

The stone that was thrown was caught by someone behind her and tossed back, knocking the bully off his feet.

"You're the real monsters." Said the smiling boy, a baby strapped to his back. "Besides, you all are weaker than her. Look, she's not even bleeding. And you call yourselves Yato."

After the bullies had scattered, Oiwa turned to Kamui her eyes glassy with unshed tears. This was the third time that week that he had saved her from the neighborhood bullies. With a jerk of his head, she walked away with Kamui.


	2. Chapter 2

2.

"Abuto, I need your help with something." Oiwa gripped his sleeve.

The older man was on watch, leaning on the railing of the ship, staring off into the clouds. Kamui was off somewhere, and the fact that she wanted his help with something meant that their commander was either sleeping or busy.

"And what would you need help with?" he asked, sparing a tiny glance at the woman.

Compared to his large frame, she was so frail looking, so breakable. There were tears pooling in her eyes and her hand shook. He knew the only thing breakable about her was her frail state of mind- not completely Yato, yet not completely whole. When she finally looked up to meet his eyes, he felt a shiver run up his spine.

"Help me die."

X

"Commander, please calm down!" Abuto followed Kamui down the hallways of their ship, knowing that what the younger Yato would find would do anything but make him calm.

"How can I be calm," Kamui glared over his shoulder, his eyes flashing with bloodlust. "if she's hurt, Abuto?"

The guard that had reported the news of Oiwa had been launched off the ship by Kamui. Nothing would calm his rage- but Abuto wondered if it was really fear Kamui felt, only hiding the weakness behind a mask of anger.

It was reported that the smell of blood was coming from Oiwa's room. At first, Kamui merely joked, thinking she must have been on her period. But the guard said that the smell was almost overpowering and that he had heard a scream a few minutes before. At that bit of news, Kamui calmly grabbed the crewmember and launched him through the ship wall.

However, when the door to Oiwa's room was flung open, the calmness Kamui had seemed odd. His movements into the room were shaky and stiff, like a puppet being moved on strings.

Kamui froze at the sight of her limp body on the bed. She was so still, even more fragile looking in the soft moonlight. While Kamui quietly approached her body, as though she were only sleeping, Abuto found a note addressed to Kamui.

"It says she committed suicide…" Abuto went to hand the letter to his leader, but stopped at the sight before him.

The ruthless Yato had knelt at her side and held her hand. His thumb rubbed circles on the cold flesh of her wrist. There was no pulse. No rise and fall of her chest. She was gone.

He was silent for a moment then asked, "Why?"

Abuto almost forgot what he was supposed to do for a moment. He had never seen the younger Yato act this way before. It was so strange, then again, their entire relationship was odd. For a man as ruthless and hell-bent on being the strongest in the universe to allow a weak woman like Oiwa tag along in his journey… Abuto never understood and probably never would. But it was the desperate look in her eyes and the fear that shook her words that broke him. Kamui would probably kill him if he found out that he had a part in her death. Carefully he composed himself and glanced down at the slip of paper.

"Because someone as strong as you doesn't have a use for weaklings…"

Kamui remained still, then, in a very soft voice said, "But I never saw her that way…"

X

One Week Earlier

It had only happed when he had drank too much and there was always a shift in the air when he dragged her to bed. Maybe spending too much time in the red light district had given him ideas that he wanted to try for himself. Oiwa didn't understand why he just didn't grab one of the many prostitutes offered to him but instead choosing her as his bedpartner.

She wouldn't deny that she didn't secretly enjoy it or pump her fist into the air at being picked over the many beautiful women in Yoshiwara. And he wasn't a bad lover, quite the opposite. Save for the first clumsy time they had sex. He had acted so confident, but she knew he was just as embarrassed and nervous as she was.

But this time it was different. It seemed that lately, since they'd been in Yoshiwara, that when they had sex (because that was what it was, sex, not love making) he acted desperate like she was the oxygen he was running out of. And when he had finished, he held onto her a little tighter and longer than usual.

"Tomorrow, no matter what comes up or what Abuto says, so see the doctor." Kamui sat by the open window, staring down at the world below.

Oiwa sat up, the blanket falling around her bare hips, and turned to the man she had known since she was a child. His hair was out of its usual braid, falling loosely around his shoulders. There were red nail marks lining the skin of his back that were quickly fading.

"But…" she began but he cut her off.

"You're of no use to anyone sick." He covered his mouth with his hand and turned to look back out the window.

Deep down she knew he was only looking out for her. But like her father had wished for her, she had become nothing more than a tool. Her skin like leather had made her a great shield and her hypnotic way of speaking could make dozens of men turn their blades on themselves. Abuto kept her around as a babysitter when he was busy, as she could calm Kamui out of any rage. And she hated it. She was more than that and wanted to be more than just a toy to Kamui.

What she wasn't counting on was what the doctor would tell her…

"Congratulations! You're three months pregnant." The doctor smiled at her.

Oiwa was so full of terror and confusion that she whispered the words that ended the poor man's life. He brought his pen to his throat and slowly dug it in until his white coat turned red and his face smacked against the table. The clipboard with her results on it became soiled in blood.

When she met back up with Kamui, Kagura had burst out of the building. It had been years since she had last seen her. She had grown up and was no longer the small child with eyes that constantly swelled with tears. She was stronger now and Oiwa couldn't help but feel proud of how Kamui's little sister had turned out.

Oiwa snapped open her umbrella, shielding herself and Kamui from the hail of bullets, shook it to the side to rid it of the slugs, and raised it above her head again. She hated the glare Kagura shoot at her. It pierced deeper than any of those bullets ever could have.

"Still using her as a human shield, Kamui?" Kagura growled, struggling in the arms of her human friend.

If there was anyone in the world that could see right through Oiwa it was Kagura. Kagura was only saying that Oiwa had thought all along but chose to ignore. She owed Kamui a great debt and deep down somewhere, she even loved him in her own special way. And now… now she couldn't just let him die.

"One day you'll understand." Oiwa called back, staring Kagura dead in the eyes.

In a small, barely noticeable movement, Oiwa touched her fingertips to her stomach, then moved it to toss her curls over her shoulder. It was a movement she thought only Kagura could see, but her silver haired companion also noticed.


	3. Chapter 3

3

"Hey, Kagura, who was that girl with your brother?" Shinpachi asked, setting down a tray with tea on the coffee table.

"My stupid brother's childhood friend." Kagura stated, chugging her tea. "She's been stuck to him like glue since they were kids, yes."

"Why does she look different compared to most Yato's?" Gin-chan spoke up, glancing away from his JUMP magazine.

"Ahh, she's only half Yato. Her mother was from another clan so she's not as strong as the usual Yato, yes." Kagura sat her cup down rather hard, cracking the tray underneath. It was obvious that the topic unsettled her. "But she's tricky, so if you have to fight her try to avoid it."

"Why-"

Shinpachi was cut off by an unknown female voice. "Hello? Kagura?"

The redheaded girl shot out of her chair towards the door, only to go through it. Gin and Shinpachi were greeted by the broken front door and Oiwa peering out the hole at Kagura who was stopped from falling off the building by the railing. The younger girl looked like a rug hanging out to dry. When Oiwa turned back towards the men, she smiled awkwardly and apologized for the door.

"I just need a place to stay until the baby is born." Oiwa said, ignoring Kagura poking and touching her swollen belly.

"That's fine, right, Gin-chan?" Kagura begged, pressing her cheek against the baby bump. Something inside kicked her roughly in the cheek and Kagura grinned back, poking the spot roughly.

"Why didn't you stay with the baby's father?" Gin asked, wondering if it was okay to say Kagura's brother's name out loud. But since no one else had mentioned the elephant in the room, he was going to have to.

At this Kagura perked up and moved away to observe the older girl's face. Oiwa rolled her eyes towards the ceiling, ignoring the intense stare of her lover's sister. The vermillion haired girl stared her so intensely with a disapproving look, that Oiwa knew what the question was before it was asked. Not that it needed to be.

"I may or may not have faked my death to get away from him."

Gin groaned and threw his head back. If that demon Kamui found out that not only was Oiwa alive but that she was staying with him… that would cause a lot more trouble than he wanted in his life right now.

"You don't understand," Oiwa began, "I love Kamui, I do, but by his side… it's no place for a child. Besides, we'd just get in his way."

Kagura sighed and leaned back, crossing her arms. "My dumb brother doesn't know what he's missing, yes."

"Well, you can't stay here." Gintoki said, digging his pinky in his ear. "There's no room and Kagura sleeps in the closet."

"She can stay with Shinpachi, yes." Kagura smiled, looking between Gintoki and Shinpachi.

"Don't I have a say in that?" The obligatory glasses character yelled. "It is my house! And I thought you hated her?!"

Oiwa wanted to frown at being turned away but could only smile. Kagura had found herself some great friends. She had grown on her own and made a home for herself on this strange planet. Oiwa was proud of her, shedding a small tear of happiness.

The trio of odd jobs workers panicked at her tears and all offered for her to stay with Shinpachi for as long as she needed.

xXx

Abuto wasn't sure if Oiwa was tempting fate or just downright stupid. She'd sent him a letter informing him that she made it to earth safe and sound. While four months had passed since he had helped her fake her death, burying her on their home planet was still fresh in their commander's mind.

There were times when he would catch Kamui staring off into the distance, his trademark smile slipping for a moment before his mask resumed its place. The young Yato's bloodthirst seemed to go unquenched since Oiwa's 'death' and even to him there was a hole where the purple haired Yato should be but wasn't.

Nevertheless, sending a letter to him was pushing her luck. Or his, because if Kamui saw the letter or two pictures that came with it, he was as good as dead. The letter only said that she had found Kagura and that both she and the baby were healthy. The first picture was a sonogram of the baby, but it just looked like a strange white blob with a black and white background, no matter what way he turned it. The second photo was of Oiwa and Kagura posing with an enormous white dog.

Abuto groaned. What was he going to do with those pictures? He couldn't just-

"Who did you get pregnant?"

The hairs on the back of Abuto's neck stood on end and he broke into a cold sweat. "C-Commander… I…"

Kamui, albeit luckily, snatched the sonogram and squinted at it, turning it a little to the side. "It looks like a son. Congratulations."

"What?!" Abuto snatched the picture back. How could that youngster know just by looking at the weird blob that it was a boy?

"See? It says it here," Kamui pointed to the small print at the top of the print. "'Boy'."

Abuto's skin prickled at the thought of another demon Yato running around the ship. He was living a nightmare. His second thought was at how dim Kamui was for not noticing the name at the bottom right of the black and white print that said 'Yato Oiwa'. Luckily when holding the photo ones thumb would cover the writing.

He watched his commanders retreating back for a moment before glancing back down at the set of photos still clenched in his hand. The note said that she would be due in about a months time, when it would be winter on Earth. When he looked up again, he found the younger Yato gazing out the ships window, his smile a faded memory.

X

Kagura loved having Oiwa around, she was the big sister the young girl always wanted. She dragged her all around Kabuki-Cho, showing her this and that. Once in a while they would bump into a member of the Shinsengumi, an odd bunch that always seemed to amaze Oiwa with their peculiar activities. One of them did tend to hide around Shinpachi's house a lot.

It was odd seeing Kagura cling to the woman when months earlier she was ready to kill her without a second thought. But now she would press her face against the growing bump that held her nephew and ask millions of questions. Sometimes she would ask Oiwa how her dumb brother was, or wonder what the purple haired Yato saw in the murderous man.

Though he never voiced or showed it, Gintoki wondered if the woman was there as a spy or what her real intentions where. After all, she was with the group that they had battled that day so many months ago. He relaxed, however, when he found the pair asleep on his couch one afternoon. On the table was an old photo album designed to be carried on ones person.

Curious, he flipped through it and found old crinkled photos of the pair as children. There was a family photo of Kagura's family when she was just a small child, barely out of diapers. Beside it was another picture of a young Oiwa beside a wide-eyed Kamui. Her hair was chopped short, like someone had haphazardly taken a pair of scissors to it. Gintoki set it back down and turned to the pair, only to find drying tears on both their cheeks.

His time came to speak to Oiwa when he found her staring at the water on the bridge in town.

It was sunset, the orange light reflecting off the ripples in the water. Oiwa lent on the railing, her swollen belly pulling the fabric of the qiapo taught. He rested his back on the railing beside her and looked up at the sky. It was a beautiful shade of pinks and reds.

"Thank you," it was Oiwa who broke the silence, smiling softly at the silver haired man beside her. "Thank you for taking care of Kagura."

"Its nothing." He was taken slightly aback, but didn't show it.

"She always used to cry and always needed Kamui to take care of her. I'm glad she's able to stand on her own two feet and follow her own path. I'm jealous."

"Jealous?"

Oiwa rubbed her belly, frowning. "I'm only half Yato, the other half is from a race opposite to the Yato. They're peaceful but their skin in hard and they're masters at hypnotism. My father was trying to make a killing machine. That's why I was born. To be a weapon."

A group of children ran past, laughing loudly. A gust of wind blew the blooms off the trees, stirring up the calm water. Gintoki remembered what Kagura had said the day that Oiwa had showed up on their doorstep. It was odd that everyone saw her as weak. For her to leave the man she loved, fake her death, and go to raise a child on her own- that was strength. True strength.

Oiwa turned to the ex-samurai and looked up at him sternly.

"I am the weakest Yato there is. But my child will be the perfect combination my father wanted. If he were to get his hands on my child…"

X

It took just twenty minutes for Oiwa to give birth. It was a snowy night, the wind outside howling along side the woman pushing with everything she had. The weather was so bad that the doctor couldn't get there until morning so it was up to Otae and Kagura to help her give birth. But after the baby was out and handed to Kagura, Oiwa took a turn for the worst.

Her temperature rose and it took some time for the bleeding to stop. She would need to rest for a few weeks to recover, her already weak body weaker from birth. Her son, however, was strong and healthy. There was a mop of curly orange hair on the top of his head and his eyes were a vibrant green. Kagura took it upon herself to look after the tiny child- her nephew she told everyone proudly- until Oiwa recovered.

A week after her baby was born, Oiwa had a unexpected late night visitor. Abuto crept through her bedroom door- the one that opened up into the garden- and found her already awake, feeding her son. She smiled weakly at him, and waved him in, telling him that it was warmer inside.

Abuto closed the door quietly and sat close to the new mother. The first thing he noticed as how tired she looked. There were dark circles under her eyes and her shoulders seemed to sag with an unseen weight. Her hair had lost its curl and hung lamely around her sickly thin frame. It seemed that Kamui's son had sucked the life right out of her.

"How did you get away?" She asked softly, gazing up at him with her usual lackluster green eyes.

Abuto shrugged. "Well, he saw the sonogram you sent me and thought I had got some chick knocked-up. I used that lie to come here. Wanted to see the little beast with my own eyes."

While he had started talking without shame, he ended with a slight pink tint to his cheeks and an awkward laugh. Oiwa just smiled and handed him the child, reassuring him several times that he wouldn't break the baby.

So there he sat, holding the small boy with both of his monster sized hands, making sure to cradle the head while he stared at the child Kamui had no knowledge of. His hair was a good combination of both parents, vermillion colored with the waves of his mother. The eyes that gazed up at him were green like his mothers, however, the grin and giggle were definitely Kamui's.

"What…" Abuto lost his voice for a moment, clearing his throat to cover it up. "What did you name him?"

"Kagura named him Kabuki." The purpled haired women said, using a slim finger to sweep a curl off her sons forehead. "After Kabuki-Cho, Kagura's new home."

Abuto remained silent for a long time, just watching the child in his hands. He almost felt sorry for Kamui, who would live on believing that the woman he cared for was dead, never knowing that she was very much alive and raising their son. Oiwa didn't know how Kamui had suffered after her 'death'. How he would become distant at times; disappearing only to be found in places that Oiwa used to frequent.

A small hand rested on his shoulder. "It's for the best, Abuto."

"How do you know that? Maybe what he needs is to start a family of his own and-" he stopped himself, realizing that he had raised his voice and was speaking about something he knew nothing about.

Oiwa shook her head. "Before he can have his own family he must fix his own. I am not the one to push him to fix anything. That's her job…"

He hadn't realized until that moment that Kagura was fast asleep at Oiwa's side, snoring softly. She put her hand on Kagura's head, gently petting her hair. Abuto realized that she was right and that the only burden that was hers to bear was the fact that she had played into her fathers trap.


	4. Chapter 4

4.

"How is your son?" Kamui asked casually a day after Abuto had arrived back from his trip.

The older Yato fell into step with his commander. "Healthy and strong."

"I see." Kamui paused when Abuto produced a photo of the child and thrust it in his face.

The young man took the piece of glossy paper and eyed it suspiciously. The child looked nothing like his right hand man, but Kamui guessed that the child merely took after its mother. But he couldn't help but feel a strange feeling tugging at the pit of his stomach. He handed the photo back and continued his stroll down the ships hall.

X

As the days went by, Kabuki grew into a toddler with monster strength only his aunt knew how to control. Since Oiwa was sick in bed for a few months rather than weeks as originally thought, the Yorozuya were tasked with looking after the child.

The baby Yato had managed to break Gin's pinky finger when he absentmindedly gave it to the child to suck on. All the baby had to do was grab ahold of the appendage and grip it with all his strength for the bone to snap like a carrot.

In a fit of anger at having a dangerous object taken away from him, Kabuki threw his rattle. The projectile went through several walls of the apartment above Otose's Snacks and landed somewhere else in the city. After that Gin began to write up a bill of different expenses the baby Yato was costing him. Only Kagura "accidentally" spilt his strawberry milk on it when he wasn't looking.

It wasn't helping Gin's nerves any when he realized just what Oiwa meant when she said her son would be the perfect combination. He often found himself wondering if the grandfather of the child would come hunting for the "perfect weapon". Kabuki showed strength that rivaled Kagura's and his ability to avoid harm was past a level he had ever seen. Though, he wasn't even sure at what level Oiwa herself was at, since he had yet to see her in battle.

That time came barely a year later. Oiwa had recovered her strength after childbirth and took over the care of her son once more. Kagura was welcome to help as much as she wanted, so long as she stopped telling everyone who the baby's father was.

It was one of those odd time that Gin found himself walking alongside Oiwa back towards that strange yet familiar place above Otose's. They had left Shinpachi's as the sun was beginning to set and Kagura had gone off to walk Sadaharu and said she would be back later. Oiwa had been acting strange the entire day, sticking to the ex-samurai like glue.

When the turned down a vacant alley he finally understood why. Three of Naraku's men appeared from the shadows. Gin stepped in front of her, knowing that they were probably after him and not the woman by his side. But Oiwa placed a small hand on his shoulder.

"Teke had a feeling you and Umibuzu's son had procreated." Said one of the men, stepping forward with his hand outstretched. "Give us the promised child and we-"

The man barely had time to finish before Oiwa's smooth tone stopped him.

"I will not hand you my son. Instead, you will turn your weapon on yourself."

Gintoki watched in horror as the man's eyes turned blank and a hollow look appeared on his gaze. Then the man rammed the sharp end of his staff into his jugular and pressed until blood poored down his black and white robes. Another man rushed at her with his staff but she rammed her forehead into the brass circle and pushed the wooden rod back into the mans shoulder and through flesh.

Gin snapped back into reality when Kabuki began to wail from his spot on Oiwa's back. It was then that he stepped in and finished off the two remaining men. Despite using her head as a blunt weapon, the purple haired Yato didn't seem to have a scratch on her nor did it seem to cause her any pain or discomfort. Instead, she smiled up at him and thanked him.

"She's tricky," he's remembered Kagura saying. "so if you have to fight her try to avoid it."

Now he understood why.

X

As children Oiwa never left Kamui's side. She would walk with him to and from town, help him cook dinner for his family, play with Kagura for him. Everything. To be honest Kamui didn't mind having her around, she was a good friend and the only one he had. She'd stand up for him against the bullies that tormented him- she'd later learnt that she wasn't the only one that the other kids teased.

While Kagura loved her brother and chose to stand up for him once, she was kicked and sent flying towards a brick wall as a reward.

"Gotcha!"

And it was Oiwa who had jumped in to catch the girl, shielding her from the impact of the wall with her own unbreakable body. That was also the same day that they had met Abuto; if only briefly.

"Oh, they must be the Harusame." Oiwa appeared next to him, holding an unconscious Kagura.

Kamui turned back to the purple haired girl and heaved a sigh. He plucked a bit of rubble from her curls and she smiled warmly at him. Oiwa told him that she could only shield the girl so much and she may have had a few bumps and bruises.

"What about you?" He'd asked, picking out the last of the brickwork from her hair. It annoyed him that it was cut short due to the neighborhood girls.

"Don't worry about me." Her smile was bright and wide and it was the last time he'd see it reach her eyes.


	5. Chapter 5

5.

It was usually only when Umibouzu was gone that Oiwa's mother would come over to cook for the small family. Tsukiko was someone that Kamui had grown to admire as a child. She always had a loving smile on her face and was willing to help anyone in need. It was hard to believe that she had given birth to multiple children, only to have all but one killed before her very eyes by her husband. Just seeing Oiwa by her mothers side in their kitchen was enough to give Kamui an odd feeling in the pit of his stomach.

In fact, over the years he had grown to hate Teke like he had started to despise his own father. It was Teke Kamui attacked first, not Umibouzu. It had happened one rainy day while Tsukiko and Oiwa were over at their house.

The two were showing Kagura how to make cookies; and it always brought a smile to his mothers face to see her daughter happily making a mess like this one. Teke had been gone for some days, allowing his wife and daughter to do as they pleased without fear of angering him. However, he had arrived home early to find his family gone and his house empty. Knowing that they often visited the sickly Kouka, he barged into their tiny home and began to drag his wife out by her slim wrist.

This was also the day that Kamui learned the true weakness of the clan that were indestructible. Only the one that they loved could do them bodily harm.

And so Tsukiko's wrist snapped like a twig under her husbands larger palm. Crying out in pain, she tried to pull her now broken wrist away while coaxing her husband to calm down. All it did was anger him more. The sickly Kouka had tried to get up and intervene but could only go a few steps before collapsing to her knees on the floor.

At the sight of the dominating man abusing his wife and his own mother trying and failing to help, Kamui decided to step in. Oiwa grabbed his arm and held him back from her father, fearing that he would get hurt. Instead, she was grabbed by her hair and thrown out the open door.

It was then that Kamui attacked the older Yato. Teke was both surprised and amused at Umibouzu's son, the brat whose parents were known to be the strongest in their clan. He almost had to use his full strength to fight the vermillion haired boy, who had kicked him out of the house and into the rain.

Oiwa stumbled to her feet, slipping and falling into puddles as she tried to pull her weak body out of the mud. Her father had beat Kamui into the ground but as he began to get back onto his feet, blood dripping from a wound on his head, the elder raised his fist to finish him off. Oiwa screamed and threw herself, arms outstretched, in front of her friend. However, instead of his fist breaking on the chest of his weak child, his large hand went through flesh and blood.

Tsukiko fell to her knees, her husbands arm through her chest up his elbow. She hacked up a mouthful of blood and collapsed into a heap on the floor when he pulled his arm back through her body. Oiwa screamed and went to rush to her mothers still form but was held back by Kamui.

It was Umibouzu who had stepped in and kicked Teke clear through the yard of their little home. He turned back and saw his son clutching the screaming girl, her mothers body mere feet away, blood seeping into the moist soil.

The rain didn't stop, only hiding the tears of the alien hunter as he scooped Tsukiko's broken body into his arms. Teke had really done it. He had overlooked the murder of his children, but savagely killing his wife before not only his daughters eyes but the eyes of Umibouzu's own children- that was over stepping a line.

They didn't bury her- opting to cremate her instead. Oiwa had asked that they take her ashes and spread them somewhere where she could be free; finally free from the domineering force of her husband. Umibouzu took the ashes and released them into space, per the young girls request.

It was not long after those events that Kamui noticed how her eyes seemed to dull, losing the life he was used to seeing sparkle in her green eyes.

X

"He's here,"

Oiwa stood on the bridge on her way to Shinpachi's. She wasn't sure if the sky was red from the approaching evening or if it was from the flames that ate away at the castle. The smell of ash hung in the air, nearly burning her eyes as she watched a large ship sink into the horizon.

She clutched Kabuki a little tighter, pressing her lips to the top of his soft hair. He was there, she could feel it. So close but yet so far from her. Holding out her hand, palm towards the sky, she caught a small speck of ash like it was a snowflake.

 **A/N: Sorry if there are any mistakes or mispellings of names. Please review and favorite!**


	6. Chapter 6

6.

"You don't have to follow me." Kamui paused at the base of the ship's platform where Abuto stood.

Oiwa peered at him from under her yellow umbrella. "Do you not want me to follow you?"

"I never said that." He stated, moving towards the older Yato.

Abuto noticed a difference in the girl since the last he had seen her. The shine in her eyes had died, just as the boy beside her seemed to frown so deeply the creases cut into his skin. She had always seemed out of place to him, in her grey qiapo and red slippers; her yellow umbrella a reminder that she was only half Yato.

"Then I will follow you until you tell me not to." She said, stepping onto the platform after him.

X

"He has a bottle in the evening and oatmeal for breakfast." Oiwa bounced her son from one hip to the other. "For lunch you can feed him mushy rice or apple sauce. He's starting to teethe so there are things for him to chew on, like crackers and cookies."

Otose reached out and took the squirming toddler who was already grabbing for her. "Don't worry he'll be fine."

"I know, but…" Oiwa sighed and let her shoulders sink. "I don't know how long I'll be gone for."

"It's fine, as long as you come back alive." The older woman smiled down at the curly haired child in her arms. "Isn't that right, Kabuki-chan?"

X

Oiwa hated the sight of the planet she had grown up on. The pitter patter of rain made her stomach churn and groosebumps grow on her pale flesh. Gripping her umbrella tighter she made her way towards the cliffs. Her red slippers did little to protect her feet from the sloshy ground and scattered puddles.

Squeezed once more into her usual grey qiapo, the slit up her hip barring her skin to the unwelcoming cool air of the drizzly planet. Something in her blood boiled, keeping her warm despite the amount of flesh that prickled against the air. With each step towards the cliff she had begun to realize that her father was dead.

There was only one reason that the Naraku had sent their men instead of her fathers. The being- the weapon- that Teke had promised them was a faulty one and had gone missing. So they killed him for it. She couldn't feel her father's presence on the planet nor did he find his way to her. There was no mistaking it, Teke was dead. Maybe killed before or after he had promised her son in her stead. Like exchanging a broken item at a store for another.

Standing on a foot path she felt the ground rumble underneath her feet, taking her with the earth as it tumbled down. She allowed herself to fall, knowing that the man she was seeking was waiting at the bottom.

Kamui caught Takasugi by his kimono belt and promptly tossed him carelessly to the ground before opening his arms wide. Oiwa dropped into his arms, noticing how his grip on her tightened briefly before he allowed her to settle onto her feet. He did, however, keep his hands on her forearms to steady her.

"I thought I was catching a ghost for a moment." He said smoothly, reaching out to pick a bit of rock from her curls. "You're supposed to be dead."

Oiwa flinched against his hand, and stepped back, steeling herself. "I was expecting you to kill me."

"What for?" He grinned, ignoring how she had moved away from him and how it made him feel.

"I lied, Kamui, I-"

Another rumble. His head jerked to the side where the source of the quake had come from. Without another thought, he grabbed her wrist and tugged her along with him just as he always had when they were children. He only let go when they approached a large group of aliens, part of the Harusame; the first division.

Oiwa stood back and watched as Kamui stole the large sword and sliced the commander of the division in half. The cliff cracked and began to crumble down as the son launched himself at his father. Casually closing her umbrella, the half Yato walked through the group of men, pleased when they parted to let her walk by.

Setting into a sprint she leaped into the air and cleared not only the breaking cliff edge where Kamui was falling but also the air between Umibouzu and Abuto. The vice-commander panicked as the blank faced woman was quickly approaching him. He opened his arms to catch her but instead caught her with his body, the pair crumbling to the ground.

"Yo," she greeted, raising a hand.

Abuto groaned and stood with the help of the woman. The pair watched the father-son spat from a distance. The older Yato watched her expression closely. This was what she was waiting for, the fight between family that would decide whether Kamui was ready for a family of his own. Her lips creased into a deep frown when it became apparent that Kamui had learnt nothing.

"Oiwa," Abuto began, but stopped when she raised her hand, her brows knitted together.

"Umibouzu!" She screamed, racing forward to kick Kamui away and bracing herself with her umbrella from the strike of Utsuro.

While she had effectively blocked the immortal Naraku from attacking Umibouzu, his hand, as sharp as a razor, had sliced her cheek. She cursed, realizing that the Altana being could cause her bodily harm. Raising her leg, she kicked the old alien hunter away from the pair. This was her fight.

Utsuro retracted his hand, and stood to his full height. "So this is the faulty weapon I was promised. Oboro's replacement."

Oiwa refused to answer, pressing her lips together, deeping her stance. She could feel everyone's eyes on her. Kamui's questioning yet watchful gaze made her spine tingle. She raised her umbrella.

"Have you come to tell me where to find your son?" Utsuro smiled, lifting his sword above his head. "Or have you come to take that secret to your grave?"

Before Oiwa could make her stance against the powerful being, Umibouzu grabbed her by her arm and threw her towards where Kamui was struggling to stand. He caught her not-so-neatly, knocking the wind out of him. It was Umibouzu's umbrella that stopped the slash intended for Oiwa.

"Sorry, but this is where I step in." The alien hunter grinned, winking at Oiwa.

"Umibouzu, st-" Kamui clamped a hand over her mouth, knowing that now that her emotions were out of control so would her ability to hypnotize people just by speaking. Anything she said to his old man would be signing his death certificate. And that was his job.

Oiwa tried to rip her wrist from his grasp, twisting her body to stand and pull away from him. "This is my fight! He wants my son!"

Kamui rubbed his head from where a bump was beginning to swell, and rose to his feet, refusing to let go. He'd already lost her once, he wasn't going to lose her again. His free hand went to her bleeding cheek, wiping a dribble of blood away with the pad of his thumb.

"He can kill you, Oiwa." Kamui said sternly, pulling his hand back to swipe at the glob of blood with the tip of his tongue. It made his Yato blood boil.

"And so can you," Oiwa glared, finally tearing her wrist free when he loosened his grip in shock. "What's the difference?"

Behind them the battle came to an end. Umibouzu dropped to his knees with Abuto rushing to his side. The immortal Naraku threw on his cloak, covering his naked yet quickly regenerating body. Oiwa's eyes narrowed when he turned to look right at her from across the battlefield.

"I'll find him one day." He turned on his heel, raising a hand in goodbye. "Your son was promised to me, after all."


	7. Chapter 7

7.

"Why me?"

Kamui's eyes widened as he stared down at the woman pinned under him. Her pale skin glowed in the moonlight and there was a tint of pink blushing across her cheeks and chest. Oiwa's lips were bruised and red, raw from his own which had been ravishing them only minutes prior. At the innocent question asked his elbows bowed a little, weak under her insistent stare. Those damn dull, lifeless eyes.

"Because." He tried to lean down to capture her lips with his but she put a finger to his lips, stopping him.

"Because, why?" She pressed, pinching his cheek gently.

"Because…" he let his voice drag on, thinking quickly for a response. "You're my best friend, why would I want to give up my first to some floozy?"

Unhappy with his response, the purple haired Yato raised her leg and promptly kicked him off the bed.

X

There were a few times that Oiwa sensed his Yato blood was about to take control and she was able to quell the rage before it happened. This, however, was one of those times that she had failed to stop it. She was too far away to speak to him. Too far out of his reach to do anything.

His anger was directed at Gintoki, which was a breath of relief to her. At least he wasn't trying to kill Umibouzu or Kagura. Yet. Still, she watched his wide eyes, pupils dilated, and waited until she could try to reach him and stop the madness. Even if he could kill her with just one hit in the right spot.

When Kagura stepped in to fight her brother, Oiwa raced forward to catch the younger girl before she hit the ground. The vermillion haired teenager was reminded of that time all those years ago when Oiwa had caught her from flying into a brick wall. Releasing her, Oiwa raced forward and stood before Gintoki, shielding him with her body, her arms outstretched.

Gin opened his mouth to tell her not to be stupid, but she didn't listen.

"Kamui, stop i-"

His fist connected with her abdomen with a crunch. The wind was expelled from her lungs alongside blood and bile. It was a stupid thing to do, she knew that, but she was hoping that she could get through to him just enough that he'd stop. But he didn't.

Kamui was horrified at what he had done but his manic side wasn't letting him slow down, no matter how many bones he broke or how much blood he lost. His damn Yato blood was going to be the death of her. He pulled his shaking fist back and watched as she sank to her knees.

Then he turned and tried to go after his father who was being carried away. Abuto called her name, and damn, did he feel like an ass. He was supposed to be the one to protect her, and yet, there he was lost in his own madness unable to tell friend from foe, family from lover.

Abuto crouched by Oiwa's side, throwing an arm around her waist and putting her own arm around his shoulders. She coughed up more blood to his dismay, but she merely wiped off the residue with the back of her hand like it was nothing.

 _Stop hiding your pain_ , he thought to himself, pulling her body up when it started to slump.

Oiwa couldn't help but feel like a failure when it was Kagura that had helped still his Yato blood in the end. What she didn't know was that it was the thoughts of him hurting her that had helped push his manic rage back down. The image of his fist connecting with her stomach replayed in his mind over and over again. It made him sick. And while he laid his head on his sisters lap, he couldn't help but think that he was unworthy of both girls affections. He was the lowest of the low.

Sometime later when he had awoken, Oiwa pushed herself away from Abuto and stood strong, but he noticed how her arm was draped across her ribs and how her legs trembled. His old friend carried him on his back but stopped when he noticed that Oiwa had failed to follow them towards their ship.

The purple haired Yato stood still between the two retreating groups. She turned her head towards Gin and Kagura, silently asking if it was okay for her to go with them- if only for a few days. When they nodded she turned back to the pair of Yato men.

Kamui held out his hand to her, his trademark grin lighting up his face- hiding his own pain and unease.

Oiwa took his hand, and smiled back. "Fine. You have me for three days."

X

Kamui didn't understand what she meant until sometime later. They spoke until Oiwa had fallen asleep and he carried her back to his bed. He sat by her side for some time, just watching the gentle rise and fall of her chest. It was still a lot for him to take in; the reason why she had left and then returned, why Utsuro kept mentioning a son- _his_ son.

Oiwa shifted in her sleep, the simple cotton slip she had on riding up slightly to show the forming bruise on her abdomen. If he rolled his hand into a fist it would match up perfectly with the ugly purple and blue marks blossoming on her white skin. He reached out and touched the marred flesh with just his fingertips, pulling away quickly when her face contorted into a grimace.

If he had done that months earlier then-

He didn't want to think about it. He didn't want to think about being the cause of the miscarriage of his own child. He wasn't Teke, he'd never be Teke. But strangely he was going to be just as absent as his own father. Oiwa had refused to bring their son- his name was Kabuki, he'd learned- aboard the ship, saying that a pirate ship was no place to raise a toddler. So, in two days time he would take her back to earth where he would finally meet his son- it was a strange new set of words he still had a hard time chewing on- then leave his small family while he went off into space.

"Quit it." Oiwa pinched his cheek, pulling his solemn face towards her.

There they were, those dull green eyes staring right back at him. Where his thoughts loud enough to wake her from her slumber? Kamui took her hand from his cheek and kissed her knuckles, then her wrist.

"Quit what?" He questioned, leaning down to peer into her eyes; his own drifting down to her lips, set into a frown.

"Quit thinking about whatever is bothering you." She said, raising her hand to cup his cheek, brushing it with he pad of her thumb. "Just think about having me all to yourself for the next two days, okay?"

Kamui nodded dumbly and sank into her embrace, pressing his lips to the hollow of her throat. "Why didn't you tell me? About our son, I mean."

There were those words again. _Our son_.

Oiwa blinked. "I was scared. All I could think about was protecting the both of you and pretending to be dead seemed like the best choice."

Kamui tightened his grip on her, just remembering her still, lifeless body sent shivers up his spine. "Don't leave me like that again. I won't forgive you if you do."

Oiwa blew in his ear, causing him to shudder awkwardly. "Yes, commander."

X

The first thing Kamui noticed about his son was his smile. It was like showing him a mirror. The second was how his child already seemed to be so protective of his mother. The toddler pressed his small hands on his mothers chest, an attempt to keep her away from the two strange men she was walking towards. Kabuki realized that his attempts were a failure and instead threw his pacifier at the men, hitting Abuto square in the forehead, drawing blood. Yes, the child was definitely his, no doubt about that.

"Kabuki, say papa." Oiwa prompted, pointing to the shorter of the two men.

Kamui's son glared at him for a moment, before turning his head. Oiwa bounced him a little and stepped closer to Kamui. "Kabuki…"

Instead, Kamui took the toddler into his arms and held him up towards the sky and looked up at his child. It was only then that the pair grinned at each other and the toddler squealed, grabbing for his father. There was an odd feeling in his chest when he brought his child down into his arms and found Oiwa smiling- actually smiling- at them. It had been so long since her smile had reached her eyes. So long since he had seen life twinkle back into the forest green of her irises.

Abuto laughed and clapped his commander on the shoulder. His laugh was short lived as the toddler promptly grabbed his mechanic arm and ripped it clear off.

 **A/N: So I'm not sure if I should complete this as this seems to be a good stopping point. Unless y'all want more, then I'll gladly continue. Though it maybe not be as quickly.**


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